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Car accidents may be commonplace in the state, but the consequences are rarely routine. Victims often suffer catastrophic injuries, develop long-term health complications, and are straddled with sky-high medical bills and other unanticipated expenses. With this much on your plate, it’s easy to feel confused about your next steps.
In this article, we take a look at a few actions you should take after a collision:
1. Seek Medical Treatment
Even at slower speeds, truck accidents can lead to serious impact injuries. As such, even if you feel fine, you should still visit the doctor as soon as possible. You may have suffered an injury that is yet to present with any symptoms and, left unchecked, such conditions can often lead to life-threatening health complications.
However, undergoing a comprehensive medical evaluation is about more than just taking care of your health. Delaying this crucial step could lead to the insurer disputing the severity of your injuries. For instance, if it took you weeks to schedule an appointment after the wreck, the claims adjuster might assert that your injuries can’t be as serious as you’re claiming as you didn’t need urgent care. Alternatively, the insurance company may assert that you suffered your injuries in a different incident as the date of your medical evaluation doesn’t line up with the date of the wreck.
2. Document the Accident Scene
In order to recover compensation after a wreck, you will need to gather strong evidence to support your claim. However, much of the proof you might need to win your case could be time-sensitive, so the longer you wait to start investigating the accident, the greater the chances that some of this evidence will be unavailable.
As such, if you are physically able to do so, you should take steps to document the scene immediately after the accident. Using your smartphone, take photographs of the vehicles involved, road markings, street signs, weather conditions, and your injuries. Your truck accident lawyer and/or an accident reconstructionist might be able to use such proof to determine what happened and who was responsible for causing the collision. Additionally, you should write down the names and contact details of any eyewitnesses to share with your attorney. If you or someone else recorded dashcam footage of the crash, you should save these video files in a safe place such as a backup hard drive or cloud server.
3. Stay Away from Social Media
In the aftermath of a wreck, it may be tempting to log onto social media and vent about the at-fault driver’s dangerous actions. However, posting about the accident online is a serious mistake that could cost you a fair settlement. As there’s always a chance the insurer is monitoring your profiles for evidence that could be used to dispute your case, anything you post could become ammunition to reduce or deny your claim. As such, it’s often best to deactivate your profiles for the duration of proceedings so that your online activity doesn’t affect the outcome of your case.
4. Take Your Recovery Seriously
Once you’ve received a diagnosis, you will need to make sure you stick to your treatment plan closely. Any signs that you went against your doctor’s orders could be used to dispute liability and damages. For instance, if your doctor told you to take time off work to let your injuries heal but you still clocked in the next day, the insurer could argue that your negligent actions exacerbated your condition and led to additional health complications. In such situations, you may be held liable for some of or all your losses.
I Had a Car Wreck in Atlanta. Now what?
Car accidents are a daily occurrence, even more so in major metropolitan areas like Atlanta. Car accident attorneys get call after call about the intricacies of victims’ rights and responsibilities after an accident. Here are some typical queries and my best answers to them:
Should I see a doctor after my accident? If so, when should I visit one?
Yes. Okay, back up: Not only yes, but YES. Go to the doctor immediately if you have any pain, discomfort, or indication of injury. If you ‘wait and see’ if you’ll ‘feel better’, you will likely weaken any case you may have for the reimbursement of your medical bills. Conversely, don’t go to the doctor or emergency room if you do not have any injuries in order to create a claim. The courts do not look kindly on fraudulent plaintiffs.
Is there any instance in which I shouldn’t call my insurance company?
In a word, no. People often cite the fact that they don’t want insurance companies involved for fear of their rates rising. If a police report is filed, your insurance company will find out anyway. Go ahead and be proactive; contact your agent and allow them to try and work on your behalf as quickly as possible. If you wait you could void any claim in your favor.
How do I handle my hospital or doctor bills post-treatment?
First, lots of insurers will say both that you need to send them your bills and that you need to sign a medical records release. Do not do this. They are not ordering your records and requesting your bills to facilitate payment. They want to try and find a reason to avoid cutting a check and will do so by any means necessary.
Second, you need to follow up with the hospital’s billing department to make sure that they bill your health insurance. Your health insurance will cover bills from car accidents, but only as secondary coverage. This means that your car insurance is billed first for any benefits available under the medical payments portion of your policy. Hospitals may neglect (or be resistant) to bill your health insurance because they want to collect at 100% rather than the fee schedule agreed upon under your health insurance.
Is there anything else of importance that I need to know?
Yes! Do NOT work with a doctor or lawyer who calls you unsolicited after a car accident. In the state of Georgia, it’s illegal to reach out to victims of wrecks, but there are those who do so. There are people who are paid kickbacks by attorneys and physicians to do that very thing. It’s immoral and unethical…don’t fall prey to them; to them, you’re merely a dollar sign!
Entrust your case to someone you have carefully selected when you are not under duress or the influence of painkillers (ha).
Speak to a Car Accident Attorney in Atlanta Today
If you were involved in a car accident in Georgia, turn to the legal team at Moebes Law to discuss your options for seeking compensation. We offer free consultations, so you won’t have to pay a cent to get the answers you need to make informed decisions about your claim. To lock in a case review with an Atlanta car accident attorney, click through to our contact page.
